The State Department on Friday confirmed that a U.S. citizen, who they believe to be Moner Mohammad Abu-Salha, took part in a suicide truck bombing in Syria earlier this week.
Reports that a Syrian rebel calling himself Abu Hurayra al-Amriki (Abu Hurayra the American), a name allegedly adopted by Abu-Salha, carried out the May 25 attack on a Syrian government complex in western Idlib province have been circulating on social media for several days.
"I can confirm this individual was a U.S. citizen involved in a suicide bombing in Syria," State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said at a news briefing on Friday. Psaki confirmed the name of the man they believe to be the bomber later in the day.
The man was part of Jabhat al-Nusra, an al-Qaida affiliate fighting the regime of President Bashar Assad.
As we reported on Wednesday, the attack is the first by a U.S.-born suicide bomber in Syria.
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